Aston Villa have been credited with a move for Brazilian sensation Endrick ahead of the January transfer window

Jose Mourinho has moved to shut down speculation surrounding Endrick, insisting clubs will have to 'fight me hard' to take the forward on loan, with Aston Villa among the clubs reportedly interested in signing him. The 20-year-old joined arrived at Real Madrid in 2024 but has struggled to secure regular minutes since returning to the Spanish capital following his loan spell at Lyon last season.

Having featured for just four minutes in the current campaign, Endrick has become the subject of transfer speculation ahead of the January window, having also attracted interest during the summer. Villa have been linked with a potential loan move for the forward in January.

Despite his limited club appearances, Endrick has already earned 24 caps for Brazil, including three during the most recent international break. The youngster spent last season on loan in France with Lyon, where he gained valuable first-team experience before returning to Madrid in the summer.

He is keen to establish himself at the Bernabeu and make an impression, but opportunities have been limited following a muscle injury. Endrick missed Real Madrid's first four matches of the campaign before making a brief appearance in their 3-2 victory over Elche in September.

He has since remained an unused substitute for the fixtures against Atletico Madrid and Villarreal. However, despite the lack of playing time, Madrid boss Mourinho appears determined to keep hold of the Brazilian, delivering a firm response to the growing speculation over his future.

The Portuguese manager suggested that interested clubs could end up waiting in vain for a move that is unlikely to materialise, dealing a potential blow to Villa's hopes of securing his services.

"No, no, forget it. If any interested clubs are waiting for him, they better sit down, because they will get exhausted waiting standing up," Mourinho said. "Endrick is a player I absolutely adore, a player I believe has huge potential and who is very important to us.

"Anyone interested in him will have to fight me hard, because I believe he does not need to go out on loan and that he'll have massive success here."

Endrick's representative, Alan Redmond, head of football at Roc Nation, has previously echoed Mourinho's stance, insisting that the Brazilian's future lies at the Santiago Bernabeu. "The financial aspect isn’t important; the player evaluates the club’s project," Redmond, via Sport Witness, is quoted as saying.

"We’re talking about a player with the qualities to be at Real Madrid; he just needs opportunities. Endrick came from a loan spell at Lyon and played very well in France, then he had some problems, and I think it was also quite frustrating for him not to be at his best physically.

"However, the idea has always been to stay in Madrid. We’ll see what happens in the future, but honestly, I think he’ll stay at Real Madrid for a long time. That’s my opinion.

"I don’t think he'll move. The clubs mentioned are fantastic, but I don’t think he’ll go play anywhere else."

Endrick scored eight goals in 24 appearances across all competitions last season, while also registering seven assists in 16 Ligue 1 outings for Lyon.